St. Petersburg |
Code of Ordinances |
Chapter 16. LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS |
Section 16.20.160. PRESERVATION DISTRICT ("P") |
§ 16.20.160.9. Site plan review in preservation district.
Site plans for permitted uses and structures on properties which contain a preservation district shall be reviewed by the POD unless otherwise required to be reviewed by the DRC. Requests for variances to this section shall be reviewed by the DRC. Prior to any development, alteration, improvement, enhancement, clearing, restorative action or mitigation within a preservation district, the property owner shall comply with the following:
1.
The property owner shall provide a description of the property in writing to the POD and request the desired action within the preservation district.
2.
The property owner shall submit a letter to the POD requesting and authorizing the POD to field inspect the property. The owner shall arrange to have surveyors accompany the POD during the field inspection to review the boundaries of the preservation district.
3.
The POD shall field check the condition of the site and stake the boundaries of the designated preservation district. Adjustments to the boundaries of the preservation district may be made by the POD during the field check where natural conditions have altered the characteristics of the site in a manner that has eliminated the required factors for preservation designation. Regardless of site conditions and any boundary adjustment, the preservation designation shall remain in effect until a zoning and land use plan amendment is adopted changing the designation, and no development is allowed in the preservation district.
4.
The property owner shall complete the survey of the boundaries of the designated preservation district and any adjusted boundary. The survey shall include a measurement of the preservation district in square feet. The survey will be signed and certified by a registered surveyor.
5.
The property owner may then submit a site plan which meets the requirements of this chapter for approval. The POD may require additional information.
6.
Drainage designs shall maintain stormwater quality and hydroperiods optimum for the health of the preservation district. The applicant shall provide information sufficient to demonstrate that predevelopment drainage characteristics, including quality and quantity of flow received by the preservation district, will not be altered without required mitigation. There shall be no alteration which would increase the potential for flood damage from storm-driven waves.
7.
In order to ensure ongoing maintenance, preservation districts shall be platted with or legally committed as part of the abutting land so that no unbuildable detached lots or parcels remain. Preservation districts shall be designated "preservation area" on all plats.
8.
Conditions of site plan approval may include that all Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper), Meleleuca quinquenervia (cajeput or punk tree) and Casuarina spp. (Australian pines) or other exotic or nuisance plant species shall be removed from the site and from the preservation district. This area in the preservation district shall be replanted with the native vegetation prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any structure on the site. Methods for vegetation removal and replanting in or adjacent to preservation districts shall be approved by the POD.
9.
Land grading activities, structures or other development shall be set back from the established preservation district boundary in order to protect the preservation district. The need for and size of setbacks shall be based upon factors including the surrounding land use, topography, preservation districts vegetation type and hydrology. The required setback shall be eligible for computation of green space on the site.
10.
No alteration, development, restorative action, clearing, disturbance, mitigation or enhancement (i.e., trimming, planting, etc.) of vegetation in a preservation district is allowed without the approval of the POD. The POD shall determine that there is no adverse impact on the preservation district before any approval. Any approval shall also be subject to the following requirements:
a.
An application for alteration, development, improvement, restorative action, clearing, disturbing, mitigating or enhancing a preservation district shall be submitted to the POD on the appropriate forms and with the required fee and shall demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section and all other City ordinances. An application to remove exotic or nuisance plant species from a preservation district shall not be required to pay a fee. Removal of exotic or nuisance plant species and plans for replanting those areas shall use methods which have the least impact on the remainder of the preservation district.
b.
Any planting in a preservation district shall use native vegetation common to the specific category of vegetation within the preservation district.
c.
Protective wooden barricades that encompass no less than the dripline of trees in the preservation district may be required to protect the preservation district from damage.
11.
Any alteration, development or restorative action within a preservation district which has a documented presence of a listed species shall be evaluated for its effect upon the listed species. Mitigation or enhancement of listed species habitat shall be required for alteration or development within a preservation district which is documented by a recognized source such as the Audubon Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, or the National Marine Fisheries Service, to support the nesting, roosting, feeding or other habitat of a listed species. For the purpose of this section listed species are defined as those species which are identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, or both agencies, as being endangered, threatened or a species of special concern.
12.
Structures existing in preservation districts prior to August 25, 1977, if removed or destroyed for any reason, may be rebuilt to the original dimensions.
(Code 1992, § 16.20.160.9; Ord. No. 876-G, § 17, 2-21-2008)